Jointly prepared and published byThe Pontifical Council for Christian UnityThe Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches

To those organizing the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The search for unity: throughout the year

The traditional period in the northern hemisphere for the Week of Prayer
for Christian Unity is 18-25 January. Those dates were proposed in 1908 by Paul
Wattson to cover the days between the feast of St Peter and the feast of St
Paul, and therefore have a symbolic meaning. In the southern hemisphere
where January is a vacation time churches often find other days to celebrate the
week of prayer, for example around Pentecost (which was suggested by the Faith
and Order movement in 1926), which is also a symbolic date for the unity of the
church.

Mindful of this flexibility concerning the date, we encourage you to understand
the material presented here as an invitation to find opportunities throughout
the whole year to express the degree of communion which the churches have
already received, and to pray together for that full unity which is Christ’s
will.

Adapting the text

This material is offered with the understanding that, whenever possible, it will
be adapted for use at the local level. In doing this, account must be taken of
local liturgical and devotional practice, and of the whole social and cultural
context. Such adaptation should normally take place ecumenically. In some
places ecumenical structures are already set up for adapting the material. In
other places, we hope that the need to adapt it will be a stimulus to creating
such structures.

Using the Week of Prayer material

For churches and Christian communities which observe the week of prayer together
through a single common service, an order for an ecumenical worship service is
provided.

Churches and Christian communities may also incorporate material from
the week of prayer into their own services. Prayers from the ecumenical
worship service, the “eight days”, and the selection of additional prayers
can be used as appropriate in their own setting.

Communities which observe the week of prayer in their worship for each
day during the week may draw material for these services from the ‘eight
days’.

Those wishing to do bible studies on the week of prayer theme can use as
a basis the biblical texts and reflections given in the ‘eight days’. Each
day the discussions can lead to a closing period of intercessory prayer.

Those who wish to pray privately may find the material helpful for
focusing their prayer intentions. They can be mindful that they are in
communion with others praying all around the world for the greater visible
unity of Christ’s church.

Biblical Text

Mark 7: 31-37

Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the
Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man
who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his
ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed
and said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’ And immediately his ears
were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered
them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they
proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done
everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.’

New Revised Standard Version

Introduction to the theme:

“He even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak” (Mk 7:37)

This year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity brings together two themes, two
invitations extended to Christian churches and people: to pray and strive
together for Christian unity, and to join together in responding to human
suffering. These two responsibilities are deeply intertwined. Both relate to
healing the body of Christ, hence the principal text chosen for this year’s week
of prayer is a story of healing.

Mark 7: 31-37 relates how Jesus healed a man who was deaf and could not speak
properly. Jesus led the man away from the crowd, in order to attend to him in
private. He put his fingers into the man’s ears, took spittle and touched the
man’s tongue, and “said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘be opened’” - a word
sometimes used in Christian baptism. The good news here proclaimed has many
dimensions. As in many other gospel accounts, in this story of healing we hear
of the Lord’s compassionate response to suffering and need; it is an eloquent
testimony to the mercy of God. In restoring the man’s hearing and his ability
to speak, Jesus manifests God’s power and desire to bring human beings to
wholeness, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be
opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a
deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy” (35:5-6). The restoration
of the man’s hearing allowed him to hear the good news proclaimed by Jesus; the
restoration of his speech allowed him to proclaim what he had seen and heard to
others. All of these dimensions are reflected in the response of those who
witnessed the healing and were “astounded beyond measure”: “he even makes the
deaf to hear and the mute to speak” (v.37).

Like the man healed by Jesus, all who have been baptized in Christ have had
their ears opened to the gospel. In his first letter, Saint John speaks of the
fellowship of those who have received this good news of “what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our
hands, concerning the word of life” (1:1). It was the Lord’s desire (John 17)
that those who were his disciples, who had received his message, would be one,
united with one another in a unity grounded in his communion with the Father and
the Holy Spirit. As the body of Christ, the church is called to be one, the
community which has heard and seen the marvels which God has done, and has been
sent forth to proclaim them to the ends of the earth. As Christ’s body, we are
called to be united in carrying out his mission. A part of that mission is to
attend to those who are suffering and in need. As God heard the cry and knew
the sufferings of his people in Egypt (cf. Exodus 3:7-9), as Jesus responded
with compassion to those who cried out to him, so too the church is to hear the
voice of all who suffer, to respond with compassion, to give voice to the
voiceless.

Drawing together two strands of the church’s life and mission, this year’s Week
of Prayer for Christian Unity is intent on emphasizing that there is an
essential connection between efforts to pray for and seek unity among Christians
and initiatives to respond to human need and suffering. The same Spirit which
makes us brothers and sisters in Christ also empowers us to reach out to every
human being in need. The same Spirit which is at work in all efforts to make
visible the unity of Christians also gives strength to every movement towards
renewing the face of the earth. Every easing of human suffering makes our
oneness more visible; every step towards unity strengthens the whole body of
Christ.

The Origins of this year’s Week of Prayer

Material: Umlazi

This year’s theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has its origins in
the experience of Christian communities in the South African region of Umlazi,
near Durban. Each year, a first draft of the materials for the week of prayer
is prepared in a particular local setting, then adapted for international usage
before being distributed worldwide to be adapted for local use. This year’s
materials reflect the concerns and experience of a people who have undergone
great suffering.

Umlazi was originally established under the apartheid regime as a ‘township’ for
the majority black population. A legacy of racism, unemployment and poverty
continues to raise formidable challenges for its people, where there is still a
shortage of schools, medical clinics and adequate housing. This context of
poverty and unemployment gives rise to a high crime rate and problems of abuse
within families and communities. But the biggest current challenge faced by
people in the informal settlements and townships is that of HIV/AIDS. It is
estimated that 50% of the residents of Umlazi are infected with the virus.

When leaders of the various Christian communities in Umlazi met recently to ask
what they could do together to address the overwhelming challenges faced by
their people, they realized that one factor which aggravated their present
situation was the stigma which keeps people who are suffering abuse, victims of
rape, or infected with HIV/AIDS, from speaking openly about their problems.
There is a cultural norm which suggests that matters relating to sexuality are
not to be spoken of. In Zulu the term ubunqunu, literally ‘nakedness’,
indicates that these subjects are taboo. As a result, many people hesitate to
seek the assistance available - often ecumenically funded through the local
churches - in terms of counselling, pastoral care, home-based care-giving,
communal support and health care centres.

In light of the spoken and unspoken ways in which people, especially the youth,
are encouraged to keep silent about their problems, the local church leaders in
Umlazi designed an ecumenical service which had as its central theme ‘breaking
the silence’. The worship service invited the young people of Umlazi to find
the courage to speak about that which was ‘unspeakable’ and to seek assistance,
mindful that keeping silence can mean death.

This invitation to break the silence also extends to churches outside South
Africa and the many other regions severely affected by HIV/AIDS. No war in the
history of the world has claimed more lives than AIDS. While many
organizations, regions and churches have sought to respond to regions ravaged by
the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the responses have not been proportionate to the disaster
being experienced.

In 1993, Bishop Desmond Tutu reminded the 5th World Conference on
Faith and Order that during the apartheid era church leaders learned that
“apartheid was too strong for a divided church”. Today, faced with the HIV/AIDS
pandemic and other dehumanizing forces, it is acknowledged that they also are
too strong for a divided church. In Umlazi, there is one courthouse, one
hospital, one post office, one clinic, one set of shops - and one cemetery
reflecting one overwhelming challenge facing the people. In this same township,
the people, almost all of whom are Christian, adhere to scriptures which profess
that there is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of us all (cf Eph. 4:4-6). Yet there are many churches,
which are not in full communion with each other, and which remain a sign of a
divided Christianity. In Umlazi, there is an impatience and frustration with
inherited divisions generated many centuries ago in other lands. (See also the
description of the South African situation provided by the local preparatory
group.)

When a member from the preparatory group in Umlazi met with the international
group responsible for preparation of week of prayer materials, they reflected
on the search for full visible unity among Christian churches in light of
the experience of Christians of Umlazi and their invitation to ‘break the
silence’ which oppresses and isolates people in their suffering. Together, they
selected Mark 7: 31-37 as a central biblical text for the week of prayer, and
determined a biblical/theological framework, centred around hearing, speaking
and silence, within which both the search for unity and the search for a
Christian response to human suffering find a home. The decision was taken to
maintain this twofold focus in the worship service and in the meditation for
each of the eight days, intentionally addressing both the reality of
human suffering and the search for the visible unity of all Christians in each
text.

The Eight Days

The Book of Genesis begins with God’s creative word being spoken. Out of chaos,
breaking the silence, God’s word springs forth. It is an active word, a word
which brings about that which it speaks; and what it speaks is life. God
speaks and the creation comes into being. God speaks and human beings are
formed in the image and likeness of God. God speaks in history, and human
beings are invited into a covenant with God. John’s gospel also begins with the
word of God spoken in time, and proclaims the heart of New Testament faith in
announcing that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). Jesus
Christ, the incarnate Word, speaks God’s very self. Through his ministry, Jesus
speaks in many ways, even at times (before Pontius Pilate) through silence.
Always, the word which Jesus speaks is a word of mercy, a word which summons
his hearers into a deeper life, life in communion with God and with each other.
This good news is in turn to be proclaimed through word and deed by all who are
baptized in the name of the Triune God. It is only in the power of the Spirit
that Christians are able to hear and respond to God’s call.

Days 1 to 3 set forth this trinitarian framework. Day 1 invites reflection on
the creative word which God speaks in the beginning, and which God continues to
speak; a word which those created in God’s image are invited to echo in speaking
an active and creative word amidst the chaos of our present day. The meditation
for Day 2 ponders what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, the incarnate
Word, who makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak. Day 3 reflects on the work of
the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians, empowering us both to proclaim the
good news, and to be instruments of Christ’s healing presence, listening and
giving voice to those who have been silenced or have not been able to relate
their experience.

The intrinsic relationship between fostering unity and responding to human
suffering comes clearly to light in Paul’s reflection on the church as the body
of Christ. “By one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13).
Christ has made us one. Our divisions hamper and diminish this unity, but they
do not destroy it. Because we all belong to Christ, each part of his body has
need of the other, and must care for the other. “If one member suffers, all
suffer together” (v.26). Day 4 asks what it means to be a community united in
Christ, a community in full solidarity with its suffering members.

Days 5 and 6 develop more explicitly the theme set forth by the churches in
Umlazi, that of breaking the silence which oppresses. Those who suffer are
often left to suffer in silence, their hopes for compassion and justice going
unheeded. There are times when Christians and Christian churches have remained
silent when they should have spoken out, times when they have not empowered the
voiceless to speak. There are times when the divisions of the churches have
kept us from hearing the pain of others, or have left our response muffled,
conflicted, ineffective and unconsoling (Day 5). This is a sin, not
least because the church has been given a voice, has been given a message to
proclaim, a mission to carry out; and it is not a divided message, a conflictive
mission. Enlivened by the Holy Spirit, it is to be a single coherent utterance,
the good news given to us by and in Christ himself. Through Christ, we have the
grace to break the silence. In Christ, we are the community called to say ‘be
opened’ to the deaf and the dumb. The path to faithfulness and integrity
requires that Christians strive and pray for that unity for which Christ prayed,
and that even amidst our divisions, we learn to speak with a single voice, to
reach out as a single body with compassion, giving flesh to the good news which
we proclaim (Day 6).

The saving death and resurrection of Christ stand at the heart of the word which
God speaks to humanity. Day 7 ponders the cross of Christ in light of the
experience of suffering and death in Umlazi and many other regions. Living in
the valley of death, where suffering exceeds all measure, amidst cemeteries
where the dead are often buried one atop the other, the people of Umlazi know
and understand the desolation of the cross of Christ. In faith, they also know
that Christ has not distanced himself from the burden of human suffering, and
that the closer we come to his cross, the closer we come to each other. It is a
particularly profound proclamation of resurrection which resounds from these
same cemeteries, when during the earliest hours of Easter morning, Christians
gather amidst the tombs of their loved ones with candles lit to proclaim that
Christ has risen from the dead, and that in him, death has lost its power (Day
8). Amidst suffering and death, amidst division and adversity, the paschal
mystery sows seeds of hope that all oppressive silence will surely give way,
that one day every tongue will be united in confessing that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:11).

Conclusion

Our central biblical text for this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Mk
7:31-37, notes that Jesus looked up to heaven and sighed before he healed
the man. In Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans, he writes that the Holy Spirit
accompanies our prayers “with sighs too deep for words”. Paul’s phrase is
suggestive of the longing which the Spirit is cultivating in our hearts and
minds, a longing for full and visible unity among all Christian churches, a
longing for an end to human suffering.

In the worship service and in each of the eight days, we have made it a
structural principle to incorporate explicit references both to the need to
continue to work and pray for unity among all our churches and to the voices of
people in Umlazi and in other regions from which a cry extends to the heavens.
We hope that this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity helps to break the
silence which oppresses, and draws attention to the intrinsic relatedness
between prayer and the search for Christian unity and the call for Christian
peoples and churches to work together as instruments of God’s compassion and
justice in the world.

The preparation of the material for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2007

This material reached its present form at a meeting of the international
preparatory group appointed by the Faith and Order Commission of the World
Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
The group met at the Château de Faverges, Haute-Savoie, France; we extend thanks
to its staff for the professional and hospitable spirit with which they
supported our work.

The initial draft of this material was prepared by an ecumenical group of lay
persons, pastors and priests in Umlazi-Bhekithemba, South Africa. It was based
on an ecumenical worship service which had been conducted at the Comprehensive
Technical High School (COMTEC) in Umlazi. In the service (which was organized at
the invitation of the school) clergy and lay persons from diverse traditions
came together to make their unity in Christ visible, and to offer a common
witness in face of the challenges facing the students and South African society
as a whole today. The local group also provided a schema of biblical texts for
use throughout the week.

The international preparatory group extends its thanks to the local group in
South Africa, which included:

The international group is grateful to Father Thami Shange OGS who joined the
international preparatory group and participated in its work, introducing the
draft material and the preparations process and bringing the material, and the
local situation in South Africa, to life. We wish also to thank Bishop David
Beetge of The Highveld Diocese, Brakpan, and Canon Livingstone Ngewu, College of
the Transfiguration, Grahamstown, South Africa who established contact with the
group and acted as liaison persons as the material was being prepared.

Worship Service

Introduction to the Worship Service

The proposed worship service is an adaptation of the service prepared by the
local churches in Umlazi, and intended for young people. It begins with an
invitation to silence, not the silence which oppresses, but that which allows
us, in stillness, to hear the voice of God, and to hear the pain of the world
and its peoples. The liturgy of the word is intended to evoke the principal
topics developed in the Introduction to the Theme, revolving around St Paul’s
meditation on the body of Christ in 1 Cor 12 and the healing recorded in Mark
7:31-37. Reflecting a South African style of worship, the outline presents the
possibility of symbolic actions, testimonies and prayers for healing which could
be carried out during the celebration, thus offering different ways of drawing
into the assembly’s prayer those persons in the local community whose voices are
not being heard or who are suffering. The intercessions flow out of a
trinitarian framework, drawing together prayers for Christian unity and prayers
for those both on a local and an international level who are in greatest need.

For the reading of the word of God, the New Revised Standard Version of the
Bible is recommended.

Order of Worship

He makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak (Mk 7: 37)

Leader: L

Reader: R

All: A

Welcome and presentation of the worship service

L: Dear friends in Christ, we are gathered here together, members of the one body,
to listen to what God wants to say to us not only through his word but also
through our sisters and brothers, silent in their suffering.

This year, Christians in South Africa, living in a particularly difficult local
situation, have felt a compelling need to call us in the name of Christ to break
silence – all forms of silence complicit in the suffering of human beings.

Will this message not be even more powerful and prophetic if it comes from
Christians of different confessions speaking and acting together?

Christians of various churches who have come together for this worship service,
let us hear the call of the Lord:

To be conscious of our guilty silence faced with extreme suffering, and
together, to repent;

To pray for God’s blessing on all and in particular upon those who share in the
suffering and rejection of Christ;

To raise our voices together, for and with those who have no voice, that we may
witness together to Christ, who made the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.

Hymn/Chant

From the beginning of the hymn or chant, sung in the manner of Taizé or Iona, it
is suggested that in order to create the appropriate atmosphere for the moment
of silence which follows, a large cross should be carried in by four young
persons and laid on the floor, whereupon they would stand around it, praying
silently. The singing will give way to the following introduction to the moment
of silence. It would also be possible to lead the congregation into the
moment’s silence with a few bars of music.

Introduction to the moment of silence

L: Let us keep silence before God…silent within ourselves…opening our
hearts to the silence of our sisters and brothers living in suffering: “if one
member suffers, all suffer together” (1 Cor 12: 26).

May our ears be opened by this silence in communion with those whose voice we do
not hear, either because they keep silent or they are silenced. Let us hear the
call of Christ rather than remain deaf. He teaches that we should allow
ourselves, like him, to feel the suffering of others, placing us firmly as
Christians of all confessions before our common responsibilities.

Three minutes of silence.

Song/chant/hymn

The hymn of introduction to the moment of silence is taken up again by a
soloist, singing gradually louder. Then the whole congregation joins in.

Prayer:

L: O God who reigns in heavenly splendour, you have broken the silence
through the revelation of your Word, Jesus Christ, who came forth from the heart
of your silence and was hidden from the Prince of this world.

Open our eyes that we may see Jesus, the star who dispels our shadows;

Open our ears that we might hear the voices muffled in the silence of millions,
those voices muffled by the trials and suffering of this transient world.

Open our hearts that we may know how to respond to the pain of those who suffer
among us, as the woman of Bethany pouring perfume on Jesus’ head, and like Simon
of Cyrene who without complaint carried your Son’s cross, reduced to silence by
those who attacked him.

Assembled here together, we shatter the silence with the words of the prayer
which Jesus taught us.

A. Our Father (each in his or her own language)

The Word Of God

1 Samuel 1: 1-18. Hannah, a surfeit of sorrow(Read by four people; one reads the narrative, another the words of Elkanah, a
third the words of Hannah and a fourth, the words of Eli.)

Psalm 28: 1-2 ; 6-9. Lord, …my rock, do not refuse to hear me(read by a young person)

1 Corinthians 12: 12-29. If one member suffers, all suffer.

(Alleluia: sung)

Mark 7: 31-37. Christ makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.

(Children and young people present could mime the passage from Mark 7: 31-37.
This healing incident could also be interpreted by dance.)

Sermon

Confession of Faith: Nicene or Apostles creed

Confession of Sins – Forgiveness – Sign of Peace

L: God is more ready to forgive our sins than we are to confess them.

Let us come then before God to acknowledge the weight of our sins. Has Jesus
not promised to give rest to those who are heavy laden? May we also make known
to him our suffering at seeing the sin of the churches, still too divided to
come with any force to the aid of the weak, the little ones, and those without
voice who are so dear to the heart of your son, Jesus:

“ …for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me
nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, I was naked and
you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” (Mt
25: 42-43)

One after the other, groups of people could bring forward objects,
pictures, photographs or drawings which evoke situations where members of the
local Christian churches stayed silent

– indifferent, or unable to speak with one voice and act together - for
example in the case of battered women, abused children, Aids orphans, etc (as
the ecumenical group from South Africa which proposes the theme for this year
emphasizes in its own context).

- Each group of people comes forward in silence and places before the congregation
and at the foot of the cross previously brought in, objects, pictures or
photographs;

- One person testifies to silence kept too long and/or the share of responsibility
in this situation of suffering caused by sin;

- Then another of the same group says aloud:

“Lord we have not seen you in the suffering of our brothers and sisters.”(Appropriate moment of silence between each group.)

L: God of mercy, in your Son you offer us unconditional forgiveness for
the sins we truly confess. Grant us your pardon for those sins which we
acknowledge and those we do not have the courage to confront:

When, by our actions we have impeded your will;When, through our indifference to others we have taken away their hope;When, through indifference to the obedience of your laws and through weakness we
have not responded in the way you wished, either personally or as communities.Come to us in your mercy, to repair our broken lives and to hasten the hour of
full communion among us, in the name of the love of Jesus Christ. Amen.

L. “If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous” (1 Jn 2: 2) and “Your sins are forgiven on account of his
name” (1 Jn 2:12).

L: We have opened our hearts to that pardon for our sins which gives us
peace, so let us now give to each other the peace of Christ.

The peace of Christ be with you.

And also with you.

Music might be played or a choir sing while the members of the congregation
exchange the sign of peace.

Intercessions

L: God of grace, our creator, God of mercy, our saviour, merciful God,
our help, who knows what we need before we ask it, we praise you for your
creation, for salvation and your unceasing compassion for us.

Heal us, heal our churches of their deafness, that together we may more clearly
hear the sound of your voice in the silence of the poor and suffering.

We pray for your still-divided church spread through all the world and charged
with the proclamation of the Christ, Light of the Nations.

Breathe into us the desire to work without ceasing for that Christian unity
which is your desire and grant that nothing will overcome our search for that
unity for which Jesus prayed.

In the same way that he did not consider equality with God something to be
grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, let us not cling to that which obstructs us on our
common pilgrimage towards full communion.

R. 1: Creator God, in your love you created us for yourself, and our hearts
will have no respite until they find their rest in you.

All: Give us your assurance that nothing will separate us from your
love.

R. 2: God our shepherd, you called us from the shadows into your marvellous light. Make us to shine as children of light.

All: Shine, Lord, shine. Shine in our lives.

R. 3: God our Father, who takes infinite care of each of us, make us attentive to the needs of others.

All: In your loving kindness teach us to take others into our arms, as you have taken us into your arms in Jesus Christ, and strengthen our common witness as Christians in favour of justice, compassion and pardon.

R. 4: Jesus, Word of the Father, you have striven to break all forms of guilty
silence.

All: Give us the courage to uphold all those who in our assembled
communities and in your name make heard the voices of those without voice; that a real ecumenism of life might provide relief for those in distress and comfort for those who grieve the premature death of loved ones.

R. 5: Jesus, friend of the poor and of strangers, you have held out your hand to lead all who were far away to your grace and salvation.

All: May those who feel like strangers find comfort and signs of your
presence in our communities of faith.

R. 6: Jesus, sent by the Father, you have called your disciples to announce the gospel and to be instruments of transformation in this world together.

All: Help us - that the vision of a world transformed may fire the imagination of all believers!

R. 7: Holy Spirit, giver of life, may we continually be nourished by your
life giving power.

All: Through your presence among us, give power to those who are powerless and help us to give a voice to those who are voiceless.

R. 8: Holy Spirit, who leads us to unity, give to the leaders of our faith communities unshakeable zeal in their efforts towards unity.

All: Hear our prayers, open new ways for your church to be united.

R. 9:Holy Spirit, who leads us to the whole truth and makes straight that which is crooked, inspire all those who exercise a role in government.

All: Grant them the desire to ensure that the needs of the poor, the humble and the weak without voice are a priority; and guard them from all temptation so that their integrity is preserved from all corruption.

R. 10:O God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one in three persons.

All: Be with us and break down the walls which separate us. Bring us together in Christ through your Spirit.

L: Merciful God of love, who sees all things, and whose kindness is
beyond all measure; who in breaking the silence approached us before we
approached you, so proving your love for us in Jesus Christ your only son, born
of the Virgin Mary: We lift up our prayers to you! Be with all humanity. Look
kindly upon our churches whom you call to join together in reflecting in
everyday life the merciful and kindly love of your son Jesus Christ, God with us
for ever and ever. Amen.

Chant:Preferably the Magnificat or the Beatitudes for their appropriateness to the
theme. God uplifts and blesses the humble and silent.

Witness, Blessing and Words of Consolation

At this point people or groups - particularly ecumenical groups - engaged in the
fight against the Aids pandemic, or violence against women and children,
malnutrition, etc. could testify to their acts of solidarity.

L: “As you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Mt 25: 40

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Mt 11: 28

Dear friends, these words of Christ apply to each and every one of us. Christ
is close to us in the heart of our actions, including our ecumenical actions, as
well as in the suffering of the sick, the solitude and discouragement of many of
us. He supports us in our weakness. He is our consolation and blessing.

The ministers and representatives of the churches present come forward before
the assembly for the prayer and act of benediction.

L.
Blessed be the Lord our God for the love which you have shown us
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In him who loved us we are conquerors over hardship, distress, persecution,
famine, nakedness, peril and the sword.

In the silence of abandonment and solitude,
of sickness and death,
pour out the riches of your blessing,
that we may be ever more faithful to serve you
in our sisters and brothers,
and that our joy to do your will be ever greater.

We bless you and glorify you,
for you listen to the silence of our hearts.

You act within us with power, healing us and leading us
to speak in the name of Jesus, your Son.

Send us into the world to carry out your will
and to break down the walls of silence which separate us.

May we witness to you, our only Saviour,
being ever more united by “one faith and one baptism”.

And may we grow in grace
and in the peace of God which passes all understanding,
that your name may be glorified.

Amen.

(See Alternative Order on following page)

Final blessing:

L. May the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord,

The love of God the Father
and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with you/us always.

(Response to “with you”: and with your spirit.)

Words and act of dismissal:

As a sign of God’s blessing, of the consolation of his word and his presence, as
the congregation disperses, each person might receive a drop of perfume into his
or her hands to pass this to others - a tradition in Orthodox churches.

(The offering can be taken as the congregation leaves. It might be used to
respond to the particular needs of those who are reduced to silence.)

Alternative order:

Instead of this time of witnessing, of blessing and consolation, congregations might prefer the following proposal which consists of praying
over each person who comes forward personally.

The worship leader invites representatives of the churches present (chosen
before the worship service and to whom this has been suggested) to come to
his/her side to pray for those who desire the prayers of his/her brothers and
sisters in the faith.

Reading of Romans 8: 31-39 from “If God is for us…”

L: Sisters and brothers, truly “nothing can separate us from the love of God
manifest in Jesus Christ” so that if there are any among us who suffer
particularly from the burden of sickness, the feeling of being abandoned or
misunderstood in suffering or solitude to the point of being unable to find
peace, they should not hesitate to come forward to confide his or her suffering
and so that we can pray for and with them, if they so wish.

We can also pray for friends and people known to us, afflicted by suffering,
sickness or discouragement.

During this time, let us pray together that the consolation of Christ is made
known to all of these sisters and brothers.

The people come forward – background music plays during this time.

Those who have been designated, welcome them, listen to them and pray over them
and with them, making – for example – the gesture of putting a hand on their
shoulder.

Biblical reflections and Prayers for the “eight days”

Day 1 - In the beginning was the Word‘And God said…’ (Gen 1)

Gen 1: 2 – 2: 4

By his word, God created the universe

Ps 104: 1-9

The Lord of all creation

Rev 21: 1-5a

God makes all things new

Jn 1: 1-5

In the beginning was the Word

Commentary

In the beginning was the Word…on this first day of the Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity, we want to contemplate the work of the Creator. In the silence
of the void – the book of Genesis recounts – God created the world through his
Word. “And God said…” In the very beginning, when there was nothing but chaos
and confusion, the Word of God came to break through the silence to assign to
each being its proper place. At the summit of creation it is one humanity which
God creates, in the image of his oneness.

The group which inspired this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity comes from
South Africa. Its members have recounted how much the Aids epidemic can throw
human lives into distress. Often, we also have the impression that our world is
in chaos: when the elements engulf us, when war plunges us into terror, when
sickness or grief overcomes us…

“And God said...” Confronted with so much suffering, all Christians want to
believe that the work of the Creator continues. Despite their divisions, it is
the same hope which fills the hearts of all Christ’s disciples: the Word of God
continues to create today’s world by snatching it back from the void, in keeping
humanity united. More than ever, Christians of all confessions need to hear
this promise: See, I am making all things new, there will be no more mourning
and no more pain.

The chaos in which we live can be paralysing. However, the men and women of our
world do not want to resign themselves to despair. Thus in South Africa a group
of women (Kopanang) who have a family member infected with Aids, come
together to weave magnificent cloth. Their creations allow them to provide for
their families. Created in the image of God, we too – in our own way – can
bring beauty out of chaos.

Prayer

God our Creator, we gaze at the splendour of your creation. It is your Word
which created the universe. When our lives fall into ruin, we beg you to renew
your marvellous works. Despite the scandal of our divisions, we can pray with
one voice: that your Word never ceases to make all things new in the heart of
our broken lives. Give us courage to be artisans of creation too. We pray that
the unity we seek for our churches may be truly at the service of the unity of
the whole human family. Amen.

Day 2 - The Saving Word of Christ‘He makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak’
(Mk7, 31-37)

Is 50: 4-5

God has given me a tongue ... that I may know how to
sustain the weary

Ps 34 (33): 1-16

I will bless the Lord at all times

Col 1: 11-20

Jesus is the image of the invisible God

Mk 7: 31-37

Jesus makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak

Commentary

Isaiah realizes the cost of the gift that the Lord God has given. He has
received the power of a word which can sustain the weary and broken hearted.
For this to happen he needs ears with which to listen and learn as a disciple.
Since the Lord God has called him, he cannot turn back.

Saint Paul understood that the definitive Word has been spoken in Jesus Christ.
Paul portrays for us humanity in the unity of its relations with the Son of God,
image of the invisible God in whose likeness we have been created. God has
rescued us from the power of darkness and taken us into the kingdom of his Son
in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins. We are one through our
baptism in Christ, for we are united to him and Jesus reconciles all things to
God. Through the blood of his cross Jesus has given us lasting peace.

The gospel passage illustrates how the power of Jesus enables the deaf to hear
his saving word and then to proclaim it to others. Curiously, Jesus commanded
those present to remain silent about what they had seen but, like all good news,
this could not be contained. Those present became witnesses to the saving power
of God’s chosen one. It is not only the healed person who proclaims the
goodness of the Lord but all those who have witnessed it.

In the South African context as in the gospel, someone will be touched by the
Lord and be freed to speak about his or her condition. In turn, this will allow
the church to minister to him or to her. As a result others will be able to do
the same. This leads to many tongues being loosened and ears being unstopped.
Many people living under the conspiracy of silence surrounding such taboo issues
as the abuse of women and children, crime in society and HIV/AIDS will step
forward to break the silence which in turn will enable others to minister to
those most in need. In this context we can see how God continues to open ears
and free tongues to hear and then proclaim the saving Word of Christ. It is our
common faith celebrated in baptism that enables us to proclaim together the
compassion of Christ. In spite of suffering, we become one as we come nearer to
Christ by recognizing that in Christ all things are reconciled and held
together. This is rooted in the oneness of baptism and the subsequent
obligation to glorify God in his work.

Prayer

God of compassion, you have spoken your saving Word in Jesus. Through his
intercession, we pray that our ears may be open to the cry of people caught in
the conspiracy of silence. May Jesus loosen our tongues, that together we may
proclaim his healing love for those who suffer in silence. Strengthen us by the
grace of our common baptism, that the unity we have in Christ may be our
strength in bringing hope to those who despair. And together let us proclaim
our deliverance through Christ our Lord. Amen.

We are one in the Spirit. All have been nourished by the one Spirit. Is it in
the same Spirit that we have been baptized into one body? It is the Holy Spirit
who speaks and who gives us the crucial energy, the inner power to speak, to
announce and proclaim together the good news of the kingdom of God.

Our desire is to live in the Spirit, as a community on the pilgrimage towards
unity. If we live according to the Spirit, we desire that which is of the
Spirit. And the desire of the Spirit is life and peace.

The Holy Spirit impels us to act. We must break the different forms of silence
which get in our way and hold us back: chaotic situations, human division, all
those things which offend the dignity of persons and of peoples. How can the
word be freed? Where can we find the strength to sow a seed of life, of hope,
of openness? How can we break away from all that closes us in and immobilises
us?

The Spirit which is poured out upon all flesh drives us to prophesy. It is the
Spirit which recreates us in renewing the face of the earth. It is the Spirit
which makes us cry ‘Jesus is Lord’. It is the Spirit which witnesses to the
Lord and enables us to become courageous witnesses. It is the Spirit whom God
sends into our hearts, who makes us proclaim ‘Abba, Father’ and who thus reveals
to us our true identity: we are no longer slaves but sons and daughters of God.

When the children and young people of the secondary school COMTEC of Umlazi,
South Africa, come together for an ecumenical celebration (cf.
Introduction to the Theme), when together they call upon the Holy Spirit,
new hope is born for the whole world. It is the Spirit who encourages these
young people not to cover up their great problems - family life, unemployment,
crime, sickness – in silence and despair…Instead, they praise Christ and start
to follow him. They commit themselves with generosity to the service of their
brothers and sisters. They bear joy, peace and unity in the Spirit. On our
ecumenical journeying, these young people of Umlazi are signs of hope and unity
in the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Come Holy Spirit - may we know the gift of your presence on our pilgrimage
towards unity. Give us the inner strength to become instruments of joy and hope
in the world. May your spirit make us one. May your voice give us the
appropriate words to confess together our God and Lord and to break the silence
which destroys. Spirit of life and of love, renew us in unity. Amen.

Day 4 - The silence of the forgotten and the cries of the suffering‘If one member suffers all suffer together’ (1 Cor
12 : 26)

Ex 3: 7-10

God heard the cry of the oppressed

Ps 28: 1-8

O Lord be not silent

1 Cor 12: 19-26

Many members yet one body in Christ

Mk 15: 33-41

Jesus cried aloud: My God why have you forsaken me?

Commentary

The world in which we live is one in which many people are suffering. Almost
everyday we see dramatic pictures in the media and read news about the great
catastrophes people have experienced. But the suffering of many people is not
acknowledged. They are forgotten. It seems that they suffer silently, but this
is a fiction; the silence is more a sign of our ignorance and our egoism.

God hears what we often do not want to hear. He hears the cries of the
suffering and he sees their oppression. He does not ignore it (Ex 3). When the
people in South Africa read the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt they
remember their own way out of apartheid. Although the people were
systematically silenced, their cries for freedom and justice were loud; the pain
was deep, and it took a long time for their longing for liberation to be
fulfilled.

Nowadays many people in Africa are victims of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. No war in
the world has ever taken more lives than Aids. But the interest – especially in
the western world – is not very great. A wall of silence divides the world.
Psalm 28 shows us a suffering person, who is crying to God. It is to God that
he addresses his misery and his hope. He prays in the trust that God will take
notice of him because others do not see his pain.

Together we believe that God shares the trouble and the apprehension of the
suffering. Christ crying out on the cross is the clearest sign of this (Mk 15).
God is not far away, but in the midst of our suffering.

We are one body in this compassionate Christ. The misery of some members is not
their trouble alone but is the responsibility of all. The cries of the infected
cannot be ignored or hushed by saying that they are judged by God. If Paul is
right when he said: “If one member suffers all suffer together” (1 Cor 12) then
we could say that “the whole church has Aids”. We are bound together as one
body in Christ. Together, we must take care of the marginalized and ignored.

The great challenge of HIV/AIDS needs a united not a divided or segregated
church. It needs a church which cooperates and builds a community of compassion
and faith as the one body of Christ, a community where the silence of the
forgotten is broken and the cries of the suffering are heard.

Prayer

Eternal God, you are the hope of those who have been omitted from the agenda of
our world. You hear the cries of the wounded hearts and the voices of the
despairing souls. Teach us in the power of your Spirit to hear with your ears
and reach out through the silence to hear the voices of suffering and longing.
As one body in Christ, make us more and more a communion of compassion and a
prophetic sign of your incarnate grace and justice. Amen.

Day 5 - God’s judgement on our silence‘Just as you did not do it to one of the least of these..’ (Mt 25: 45)

Mic 6: 6-8

What does the Lord require of us?

Ps 31 (30): 1-5

God, the refuge and faithful redeemer

1 Pet 4: 17

Judgement begins with the household of God

Mt 25: 31-46 (41-46)

You did not do it to me

Commentary

Those who suffer in silence – who have lost their voice, or had it taken from
them – have their refuge and hope in God, who is faithful to redeem them. Yet
they rightfully look for help, not only to God but to God’s servants, and not
least to Christians and the churches. These are called to speak on behalf of
those who cannot, or will not, lift their own voices; and to empower the
powerless to speak for themselves: the Lord requires us to do justice first of
all.

Yet too often the hopes of those who suffer are met with silence. Christians and
the churches do not always speak out when they should or work to empower the
voiceless to find their own voice. Called to serve others, to do it unto the
least of these; too often we do not. Even knowing that Jesus is present in the
least of these, we do not always serve them as we ought.

We know that it is time for judgement to begin with the household of God. What
we do is set alongside what we are called to do, any difference is made plain:
insofar as we are silent and do not empower the powerless to speak, we are
judged. Yet the purpose of God’s judgement is not to condemn, but to bring us
to new life. Confession leads to liberation: recognizing that our silence makes
us complicit in the suffering of others, we may yet speak on their behalf, and
empower them to speak for themselves.

As Christians and churches – wherever we are – we must ask ourselves whether we
are sometimes too silent, with questions such as these:

Are we speaking out on behalf of others as best we can, and empowering them to
speak for themselves?

If not, is it a question of being able to hear the cries of those who suffer? Or
have we become numb in the face of so many cries of grief, of (for example) the
constant burials in the townships, informal settlements, and rural areas?

Are individual churches sometimes so concerned with internal matters, that they
are unable to hear the cries of those outside their own walls?

Are the churches hampered by their divisions from hearing the cries of those who
suffer?

These are difficult questions, but by asking them together we may be able to
break the silence and thus show our unity in service to those who suffer.

Prayer

God our refuge and redeemer, Hear the voices of those who have no voice; Open their mouths to speak, and grant them justice and healing, joy and peace at
last.

Open our ears to hear the cries of those who suffer;Open our mouths to speak out on their behalf; andOpen our hearts that we may work to empower others to speak. Amen.

Day 6 - Empowered to speak out‘But the woman…came in fear and trembling…and told him the whole truth’ (Mk 5: 33)

Judg 6: 11-16

I will be with you

Ps 50: 1-15

Call on me

Acts 5: 26-32

Obeying God

Mk 5: 24-34

Telling the whole truth

Commentary

There are topics one is not supposed to talk about : notably, sex, money and
religion. And for Jesus to deal with a woman with a haemorrhage was both
amazing and groundbreaking. It was faith and confidence in Jesus which
encouraged her to reach out to him knowing that healing would flow from him.
Being touched, Jesus realised that power had gone out from him while the woman
experienced healing and empowerment - the empowerment to speak out and to tell
how her whole story of long silent suffering had come to an end. And it was
only after she had told her story that Jesus could say: Be healed.

This parallels the situation of many pastors in South Africa, longing to
minister to those suffering from HIV/AIDS, but hampered by a conspiracy of
silence and shame. Only when those infected and affected are prepared to tell
their stories can the words and acts of healing happen and people be ministered
to. There is a Zulu saying that keeping silence about a great secret is like
sitting on a scorpion. Churches have the task and challenge of providing safe
space for those infected to speak out.

The churches themselves need to be outspoken about issues that, for whatever
reason, are difficult to talk about. These may include, beyond South Africa,
issues of war and peace, the life-destroying effects of global capitalism, the
tragedy of asylum seekers, or hidden child abuse. This is not a choice for the
church but it points to the very centre and reason for its existence. God has
called the church to proclaim his Word to the world, to bring good news to those
in need, and churches cannot remain silent when external forces hinder the
ongoing incarnation of this Word. But at times, the churches themselves are an
obstacle to this incarnation because of their divisions and disunity. The Word
given to the church is one, and it is only when churches speak with one voice
and act with a single compassion that they become true and credible witnesses to
this Word. Therefore the churches have also to be prepared to speak about the
shame of their own disunity. Only if we tell the painful truth of our disunity
is our healing possible.

Prayer

Creator God, you spoke and made the world to be good; your risen Son intercedes
on our behalf; your Spirit guides us into all truth. Forgive us for those times
when our silence has damaged your world, hindered the ongoing work of Christ and
muffled the truth. Give us courage, as individuals and as churches, to speak
the truth in love with one voice, to embody your compassion for all who suffer,
and to send out the good news of the gospel to all the world; in the name of him
in whom the Word took flesh among us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day 7 - Forsakenness‘Why are you so far from helping me?’ (Ps 22: 1)

Is 53: 1-5

Bearing our infirmities and carrying our diseases

Ps 22: 1-5

Abandonment

Rom 8: 35-36

Separated from the love of Christ?

Mt 27: 57-61

Love entombed

Commentary

Jesus’ cry of abandonmenton the cross echoes the words of the psalmist
and asks: ‘Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?’
Here the suffering servant bears the stigma of a common criminal’s execution.
Then follows the total silence of death and of the tomb, closed by a great
stone, with the two Marys sitting opposite, speechless.

There are times in our lives when suffering exceeds all measures, when there are
no words to express our grief, no cries, no tears, no gestures. We are there
with the women at the tomb watching everything we had loved and hoped for being
buried.

The cemeteries in the townships and rural areas of South Africa are filled with
dashed hopes and unspeakable pain. Families that used to have a single grave
now have nine. Because of a shortage of cemetery space people are buried on top
of relatives, and clergy frequently conduct multiple funerals. It used to be
that parents planned their future around a growing family. Now in countless
cases children look to a future without parents. Death can silence whole
communities.

Yet Christ’s suffering was redemptive. He bore the sorrows of all people and by
his death redeemed us all. He was lifted up on the cross to draw all people to
himself. In his suffering and desperation on the cross he shared and truly
participated in the darkest and most fearful experience of pain that humankind
can have. The closer we come to the cross of Christ, the closer we come to each
other. Christ gave his life for all people and we discover an inherent, given
unity when we acknowledge that we all depend equally on this one saving work.
The life of the church must express this unity of indebtedness.

Prayer

Giver and sustainer of life, we thank you that you know and understand when we
suffer. In Christ you have even taken our infirmities on yourself and by his
wounds we are healed. Grant us faith and courage when we are overwhelmed. In
the face of great suffering such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, malaria and traumas of
war, remove from us a sense of hopelessness. When life’s meaning disappears
behind the cloud of suffering, may we focus our attention on Christ, who
suffered and yet conquered and made us one redeemed people. In his name we
pray. Amen.

South Africa is in torment, the victim of violence and disease. Unjust death
knocks at the door of the poverty-stricken inhabitants of the townships and
rural areas. Despite this, every Sunday people proclaim the Lord’s resurrection
with confidence, often following upon funerals the day before.

This determination to celebrate the Lord’s resurrection brings all grief and
sorrow into a context of hope. Christ was raised from a tomb, revealing
God’s glorious victory over death on a cross. With faith in God’s power to
bring life from death, churches in Umlazi begin their Easter celebration with a
night vigil where they process to the cemetery with lit candles, proclaiming
that ‘Christ has risen’ amidst the tombs of their loved ones. This echoes
Ezekiel’s vision of a new earth, wherein the Spirit of God breathes life into
dry bones and they are brought back to life. Christians celebrate God’s power to
transform death into life.

Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans speaks of the risen Christ seated at the right
hand of God from where Christ announces that every human being has his or her
place next to God; evidence of God’s reaching out to the world with an offer of
reconciliation, consolation and mercy. Trust in the power of God’s love gives us
confidence to face death and seemingly overwhelming situations. We can also be
confident that if nothing can separate us from the love of God, then through the
grace of God, nothing can ultimately separate us from one another.

God brings life out of death. God whispers a word of hope in the ears of those
in agony, in the ears of those who yearn for unity. It is a hope in that which
God is bringing about, of which believers are barely conscious and which remains
mysterious: the coming of the kingdom of God. It is the hope that all
despairing silence and relentless division will one day give way, so that every
tongue might declare with one voice the glory of God the Father. What God
whispers in our ears as a foretaste of the kingdom remains a mystery, but it
demands our engagement even now. The hope which sustains the believers of South
Africa and prevents them from surrendering to despair, should empower all
believers to stand in solidarity with those who suffer. All must be willing
instruments in God’s mission to bring life and light to those who dwell in the
darkness of suffering and injustice. This same hope must inspire Christians to
seek unity through an ecumenism of daily life, ever receptive to new ways to
give expression together to the faith we hold in common.

Prayer

Lord God, whom we love, before the cross of your Son we contemplate the
suffering of a world which longs for your saving help. Raise up in us a hymn of
victory which proclaims that he has conquered death ‘by death’ and that the
risen life which was made known on Easter morning offers us life and victory
over death and the forces of evil. Amen.

Additional Prayers

(published under the sole responsibility of the local ecumenical team from South
Africa)

L : O holy, blessed, and glorious TrinityThree Persons in one GodC: Have mercy upon us.

L : Father God, hear us as we pray for those who are infected
by AIDS, those who are in danger of death. Give them the comfort of your presence, Let them seek your face, and draw strength from You, the source of lifeC: Have mercy, hear our prayer.

L : Lord Jesus, hear us as we pray for those who have just
heard that they are infected by the HIV virus, but who are not yet ill. Remind them that they still have a life to live: Let them find in You the Life, the Way and
the Truth.C: Jesus, Lord of life, hear our prayer

L : Holy Spirit of God, hear us as we pray for those who nurse people infected by AIDS - Give them the assurance of the Father's presence and the love of Jesus. Give
them your comfort, give them your peace.C: Spirit of holiness, hear our prayer.

L : Father, we pray that we all would hear your call in these
events, a call to repentance and a call to help.We pray that people would repent from immorality and fashion their lives upon the guidelines from your Word;Help us so that we may live responsible lives, not only thinking of ourselves - but also of the others around us.We pray for those scientists and doctors who are engaged in research in order to find a cure for AIDS.We pray for your church - Guide us, so that we can comfort those who need comfort with your comfort.Fill our hearts with your compassion, so that those infected by AIDS would not doubt that they will be helped by the church; Guide us, so that we will know how to help those who need help.We ask this is because of your great mercy given to us.C: Lord of mercy, hear our prayer. Amen

This introduction to the local ecumenical context is divided into three
sections. It begins with a reflection on ecumenical relations in South Africa.
The second section focuses on the township of Umlazi, near Durban, where this
year’s Week of Prayer material originated, presenting the overwhelming
challenges faced by people there; the text concludes with a more personal
account from church leaders in Umlazi of the ecumenical cooperation and vitality
which is found there.

The Churches in South Africa

In contemporary discussions on anything from the state of the economy to
education and theology, it has become almost de rigueur to talk about
“before 1994” and “since 1994”. This pre- and post- 1994 divide is not only a
matter of etiquette. It is a deep reality that touches all of life in South
Africa. Discussion of ecclesiology is no exception. Prior to 1994 the South
African churches had their mission defined for them. The struggle to end unjust
rule, discriminatory legislation and practices of apartheid left little time for
any other concerns. With the unbanning of the liberation movements, the
release from prison of our political leaders and the election of a democratic
government, the churches suddenly found themselves without a defining goal. Ever
since, they have been struggling to find a common voice.

In broad terms, the churches in South Africa form two major groupings – those of
European initiation (mostly Protestant churches, but also the Roman Catholic
Church, and, numerically much smaller, the Orthodox and Coptic Churches) and
those initiated from the African continent. In addition to these two major
groups there is a small, but significant cluster of churches more Pentecostal in
nature and which were initiated in the United States of America. With the
exception of the Church of England in South Africa, the German Evangelical
Lutheran Church and the Baptist Union, the European initiated churches are all
members of the South African Council of Churches (SACC). In 2004 the Dutch
Reformed Church, which lent both moral and theological support to the apartheid
government, sought public forgiveness and applied for admission to the SACC.
Since the advent of democracy in 1994 a number of the African Initiated churches
have also become members of the SACC (with the notable exceptions of the Zionist
Christian Church and the Shembe Church, both of which have large membership.)

A number of the member churches of the SACC (Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican
and United Congregational churches) are also part of the Church Unity
Commission. This Commission has brokered covenants which include the full
recognition of baptism and eucharistic practice, and full recognition of one
another’s ministries. Episcopal oversight is still under discussion.

It is ironic that as more churches have formally joined the ecumenical movement
in South Africa, the unity of purpose on a national level has become more
elusive. This is not to suggest that there are no issues clamouring for
attention. HIV/AIDS is everyone’s issue and has touched every person’s life in
South Africa. However, there is no unity of purpose in how to address the
pandemic. Unemployment has reached crisis proportions, but within the churches
(as within the ruling party) there is no agreement as to how the crisis is most
directly addressed. Violence on all levels of life, most especially against
women and against female children, is an ongoing problem which needs to be
addressed by the churches.

If this were the whole picture, it would be a gloomy one indeed. Fortunately
there is another side to this story. Unlike many places in the over-developed
world, most churches in South Africa have large and lively membership. At the
local level, much is being done to address issues of poverty, sickness
(especially AIDS-related illnesses) and education. Inspiring and heart-warming
stories abound of a local congregation which has established a ministry to
house-bound AIDS patients, a small group of women who give after-school care to
orphans, women who have established vegetable garden projects or bead-working
craft centres. Perhaps this is the way for the churches for now – not national
projects, but small-scale local initiatives, often ecumenical, which make the
kingdom of God a reality, and which break through the silence of poverty,
illness, violence and hopelessness.

This year’s Week of Prayer material originated in a local situation which is
marked both by the intensity of the crisis identified above, and by tremendous
courage and ecumenical cooperation in responding to it.

Umlazi, Bhekithemba and the Surroundings

In 1950, the apartheid government in South Africa passed the Group Areas Act,
which forced physical separation between peoples by creating different
residential areas for different races. Over 3 million people were relocated
through forced removal, and ‘townships’ were established, confining the majority
black population in overcrowded areas with poor housing, inadequate medical and
educational facilities, and limited employment opportunities. Umlazi was
originally established as such a township.

In the aftermath of apartheid, the legacy of racism, unemployment and poverty
continues to raise formidable challenges for the people of Umlazi. With over
40% of its people unemployed and most others able to earn only enough to feed
their families, there is little opportunity to leave the township. Umlazi and
the surrounding region has a population of 750,000, yet there is very little
infrastructure; there are no recreational facilities - not even a field to play
soccer, no cinema; and there is still a shortage of schools, medical clinics and
adequate housing. It should be noted that the former ‘townships’ are not the
poorest areas of South Africa; these tend to be the rural areas where there is
very little development, and the informal settlements - formerly referred to as
‘squatter camps’ - found on the edges of most of the nation’s large cities and
towns.

This context of poverty and unemployment gives rise to a high crime rate and
problems of abuse within families and communities. But the biggest current
challenge faced by the people of Umlazi is the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It is
estimated that over 50% of its residents may be infected with the virus. Since
many have not been tested, it is difficult to know the exact extent to which the
pandemic has spread; but it is an overwhelming part of their present reality.
No one in these areas is unaffected by AIDS. Over 10% of babies born in the
region are born with the virus; many die in their first years of life. The
population between the ages of 14 and 40 has been decimated, leaving many
children to live on the streets or on their own, while others live with
grandparents.

No individual person, family, church or community can face the problems of
unemployment, poverty, crime, abuse of women and children and AIDS single
handedly. These problems are too enormous for a divided church. Therefore the
situation provides the agenda for ecumenism. The Zulus say “You do not pass by
when somebody is building a house without helping!” Apartheid managed to break
the barriers between churches, now on a local level, AIDS is doing the same.

The churches in Umlazi and in other townships have worked for the establishment
of clinics and have initiated home-based care programmes, through which
volunteer caregivers are trained to care for the sick and the dying in their
homes, undertaking work that is physically, emotionally and spiritually taxing,
in order to make a difference in the lives of people who are suffering. Other
projects are directed towards care of orphans and other vulnerable children, or
towards educating youths, such as the initiative to ‘break the silence’
mentioned in the introduction to this year’s materials. The cooperation of
churches also extends beyond outreach programmes and includes joint prayer,
common witness, and other examples of an ecumenism of life, as is evident in the
reflection of local church leaders which follows.

Witness to ecumenical cooperation from the church leaders in Umlazi

The truth of the matter is that we different churches and clergy are servicing
the people of God who are 1) blood relatives; 2) friends and colleagues; 3) one
community and 4) receive their daily services from one town hall and one
hospital, and share one cemetery. Therefore every party/celebration, wedding,
baptism, confirmation and funeral/requiem mass is inevitably ecumenical. For
many, they only realize that they belong to different churches for two hours on
a Sunday.

At funeral services, of which there are many nowadays, when you see different
coloured uniforms (church uniforms) you see the beauty of the rainbow people of
God. You will also pick up the fact that most people on the ground do not know
the difference between different understandings of eucharist and eucharistic
sharing in the various Christian churches. They do understand that there is much
that binds them together. At times the laity in Africa seem to understand the
theology of baptism as a family bond better than their clergy and churches.

Lay people interact and meet on many occasions. In listening to the media, they
pick up the gifts of clergy from different denominations. When they organize
retreats for themselves, they are not reliant on anybody to choose a retreat
director for them. They see it as permissible to choose any clergy from any
denomination to lead their retreats. For instance, a local Anglican parish
recently invited a local Catholic priest to conduct their retreat; shortly
thereafter, the Anglican priest of this parish was asked to lead the retreat in
the Catholic parish. In this instance, the laity took the lead and the pastors
followed. It is fitting. The people slaughter beasts together, they feast
together, they cry together and they rejoice together. It is only right that the
gifts of one church or parish are shared with others.

Among the churches in Umlazi, there is a lot of ecumenical pulpit/altar exchange
traffic in particular among churches who are part of the Church Unity
Commission. There are many other examples of one church helping another in their
ministry. For example, in terms of stewardship and churches striving to be
self-reliant, an Anglican lay minister/sub-deacon recently became an ecumenical
stewardship teacher. He visited several neighbouring Christian communities in
the region, sharing what he had learnt. Furthermore, there are gatherings of
people who share in similar ministries; for instance, altar servers from
different churches meet once a year, with one of the local churches providing
the venue and catering for the event.

It is becoming a tradition that Good Friday worship has an ecumenical component.
Often there is a procession with a cross from one church to another. In other
places there is an ecumenical service; after it is finished, people go back to
their respective churches.

We feel that the time when our brothers and sisters who adopted Dr Verwoerd’s
apartheid and baptized it into Christianity has gone. There is no us and them.
Years ago, Roman Catholics were accusing Anglicans of heresy; Anglicans were
criticising the Methodists; Methodists criticised the Pentecostals; and
Pentecostals were accusing the Roman Catholics and the Anglicans of idolatry.
Satan rejoiced and God grieved. There was a cycle of accusation. Those days are
gone!

In a recent sermon in an ecumenical celebration, one of our members said “I am
an Anglican priest, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I don’t know King
Henry VIII. I only heard about him in theological college. We can’t be divided
by European history which we inherited. Pardon me – I know Jesus … he died for
me.” Thanks be to God we crossed the barriers of apartheid and the Berlin wall
fell down. We are now gradually growing together as churches, trying to follow
Jesus, who prayed “that they may be one”.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Themes 1968-2007

In 1968, materials officially prepared jointly by the WCC Faith and Order
Commission and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity began to be
used.

1968

To the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1: 14)Pour la
louange de sa gloire

The household of God: called to be one in heart and mind (Acts 4: 23-37)La maison
de Dieu: Appelés à être un dans le cœur et dans l’esprit (Material from Ireland - preparatory meeting held in Dublin, Republic of
Ireland)

He will dwell with them as their God, they will be his peoples (Revelation 21: 1-7)Dieu demeurera avec eux. Ils seront ses peuples et lui
sera le Dieu qui est avec eux (Preparatory material from Malaysia, meeting held in Monastery of Bose, Italy)

2000

Blessed be God who has blessed us in Christ (Ephesians 1:
3-14)Béni soit Dieu, qui nous a bénis en Christ(Preparatory material from the Middle East Council of Churches, meeting held La Verna, Italy)

2001

I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life (John 14: 1-6)Je suis le
chemin, et la vérité et la vie(Preparatory material from Romania and meeting held at Vulcan, Romania)

2002

For with you is the fountain of life (Psalm 36: 5-9)Car chez toi est la fontaine de la vie (Psalm 35, 6-10)(Preparatory material CEEC and CEC, meeting near Augsbourg, Germany

Christ, the one foundation of the church (1 Corinthians 3 1-23)Le Christ, unique fondement de l’Eglise (Preparatory material from Slovakia - meeting in Piestaňy,
Slovakia)

2006

Where two or three are gathered
in my name, there I am among them (Mt 18: 18-20)Là où deux ou trois se trouvent réunis en mon nom, je suis au milieu d’eux.(Preparatory material from Ireland - meeting held in Prosperous, Co. Kildare,
Ireland)

2007

He even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak (Mk
7: 31-37)Il fait entendre les sourds et parler les muets(Preparatory material from South Africa – meeting held in Faverges, France)

Some key dates in the history of the Week of Prayerfor Christian Unity

ca. 1740 In Scotland a Pentecostal movement arose, with North American
links, whose revivalist message included prayers for and with all churches.

1820 The Rev. James Haldane Stewart
publishes “Hints for the General Union of Christians for the Outpouring of the
Spirit”.

1840 The Rev. Ignatius Spencer, a
convert to Roman Catholicism, suggests a “Union of Prayer for Unity”.

1867 The First Lambeth Conference of
Anglican Bishops emphasizes prayer for unity in the Preamble to its Resolutions.

1894 Pope Leo XIII encourages the
practice of a Prayer Octave for Unity in the context of Pentecost.

1908 The observance of the “Church
Unity Octave” initiated by the Rev. Paul Wattson.

1926 The Faith and Order movement
begins publishing “Suggestions for an Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity”.

1935 Abbé Paul Couturier of France
advocates the “Universal Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” on the inclusive
basis of prayer for “the unity Christ wills by the means he wills”.

1958 Unité Chrétienne (Lyon, France)
and the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches begin
co-operative preparation of materials for the Week of Prayer.

1964 In Jerusalem, Pope Paul VI and
Patriarch Athenagoras I prayed together Jesus’ prayer “that they all may be one”
(John 17).

1964 The “Decree on Ecumenism” of
Vatican II emphasizes that prayer is the soul of the ecumenical movement and
encourages observance of the Week of Prayer.

1966 The Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches and the
Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity [now known as the Pontifical Council
for Promoting Christian Unity] begin official joint preparation of the Week of
Prayer material.

1968 First official use of Week of Prayer material prepared jointly by Faith
and Order and the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity [now known as the Pontifical
Council for Promoting Christian Unity]

1975 First use of Week of Prayer
material based on a draft text prepared by a local ecumenical group. An
Australian group was the first to take up this plan in preparing the 1975
initial draft.

1988 Week of Prayer materials were used in the inaugural worship for The
Christian Federation of Malaysia, linking the major Christian groupings in that
country.

1994 Text for 1996 prepared in collaboration with YMCA and YWCA.

2004 Agreement reached that resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian
Unity be jointly published and produced in the same format by Faith and
Order (WCC) and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (Catholic
Church).

[1] The texts on the churches in South Africa and the ecumenical situation in
that country are published under the local authors’ sole responsibility.